


Let's make a deal

by Tay_Tay_theterrible



Category: Naruto
Genre: Absent Parents, Abuse, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anko might pop up once in a while, BAMF Haruno Sakura, But like sorta, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto) Feels, Danzo - Freeform, Danzo's an evil shit, Dark, Deals With The Devil, Don't Examine This Too Closely, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Haruno Sakura Has Issues, Haruno Sakura-centric, Human Experimentation, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, It just seems that way, Kakashi tried his best, Manipulation, Mild Gore, Multi, Orochimaru Being Orochimaru (Naruto), Orochimaru can be sorta nice?, Sakura Just Wants To Go Home, Sakura Needs a Hug, Sakura's sorta a spy?, Sakura's sorta an idiot, Shimura Danzou Being an Asshole, There may end up being gaslighting, This is just a dark fic ok, Uchiha Sasuke Being an Asshole, Uchiha Sasuke still leaves Konaha, What Was I Thinking?, again i have no idea why i thought of this but here we are, also I'm not hating on Kakashi, also just thought of it.... there's going to be mature themes, but can you blame her?, cuz you know.... Orochimaru and Danzo, he's the devil, idk there's a lot of warnings ok, mama tsunade, naruto just want's his team back, possibly more tags, read at ur own risk, someone should've warned this poor girl, sorry - Freeform, there's going to be so much more tags.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:08:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27665200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tay_Tay_theterrible/pseuds/Tay_Tay_theterrible
Summary: “I am you’re only chance, you know you want it bad.I’ll make you a deal you can’t refuse.A deal you’ll never lose.” - Lyn Lapid (Producer Man)Sakura didn’t have very many options when it came to her life. Remain the Haruno heir and waste away her life like her parents or become a ninja. The only problem was she didn’t have anybody to teach her, didn’t have a clan to protect her. She was on her own.She thought that having a team would fix that. That a team would become something close to a clan. People she could learn from, rely on.Dependon. But her dreams were a misguided want of belonging.Having a team didn’t change anything. If anything it made it worse. She was alone and had no one to depend on.But when she was offered a deal by a mysterious man promising to make her stronger? Well, who was she to refuse?
Relationships: Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Hatake Kakashi, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Sai, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Yamato | Tenzou, Haruno Sakura & Orochimaru, Haruno Sakura & Orochimaru & Tsunade, Haruno Sakura & Shimura Danzou, Haruno Sakura & Tsunade, Jiraiya & Tsunade (Naruto), Orochimaru & Uchiha Sasuke, one sided sakura/sasuke - Relationship
Comments: 41
Kudos: 145





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who was she to try and compare herself to her peers? Her perfect _clan_ peers? None of the civilians but her passed, and she supposed she should be confident. Proud. But what was the point of being proud if you got nothing in return? 
> 
> Sakura was fed up with being ignored in favour of her stronger more flashy peers. Sure she may not have a jutsu that could infiltrate minds, or bind someone in shadows. And no she couldn't knock someone unconscious with a single hit, or have a bloodline. But she was eager to learn and she had a sharp mind. Surely that should be enough for someone to see that she wasn't useless right? 
> 
> But no. She was just wishing in vain. The only thing about her that even warranted a second glance was her abnormally bright pink hair. 
> 
> But all she wanted was someone, _anyone_ to notice her. Sakura Haruno. Not the pink-haired one. Not the teammate of Sasuke or Naruto. Not Kakashi's student. Just her. 
> 
> So when someone finally offered her the time of day? Well, she did the only normal thing. She latched onto them as tightly as she could, because who knew how long her luck would last?

Chapter 1

Sakura huffed, watching from the sidelines as her teammates sparred. Her fingers clenched in the grass, ripping small green blades from the ground. They were tossed to her side before her fingers begun seeking out their next target. Her teeth grinding. Her mother hated it when her teeth ground. It wasn’t becoming of a woman. Her hands clenched into fists. Why couldn’t Kakashi-sensei let her train like her teammates? It wasn’t like she was a porcelain doll, wasn’t like the smallest of g=hits would cause her porcelain features to be broken forever. Wasn’t like she would break. She didn’t break when Ami tried so why would she now? 

She was weak now, but her weakness was her lack of skills. How was she supposed to get strong when she was pushed aside to be the perfect little doll? It wasn’t like she could learn from watching her teammates as they lashed out. Their fighting styles didn’t fit her. 

She sighed. 

She’d already tried to copy them, hoping that maybe she could learn from watching. But no. No. Her hits were too soft, throwing around her body didn’t work. She didn’t have the type of body for that. And nobody bothered to help her fix her mistakes because why would you help the little porcelain girl when they saw Naruto and Sasuke-Kun? 

She was positive this would get her killed someday. How was a ninja supposed to defend themselves when they didn’t have any skills to defend themself? Because she didn’t have any training, no skills to properly defend herself. And books only got so far. They didn’t have personalized information, didn’t tell her what style would suit her. 

So she sat, silently fuming, as she watched her teammates. Her eye’s never leaving their forms as she tried desperately to memorize their attack patterns. To try and see if maybe she could try and obtain them. Because their power was much more attainable than say a ninja like Kakashi-sensei. 

She watched as Sasuke and Naruto traded blows. Jabbing and slicing. Kicking and punching. And she wondered. Would she ever move to such speeds? Ever knock someone down with a single punch? 

She wasn’t stupid though, she knew Sasuke and Naruto were quite weak. That there were more powerful shinobi out there, but compared to her the boys’ power was the easiest to obtain. The first stepping stone. Not that it mattered, of course. Nobody seemed willing to help her gain power. Didn’t seem to want her to gain power, risk overshadowing her teammates. So she was left in the dust, over and over and over. Because why help the small porcelain girl? After all, civilians are cannon fodder. A porcelain doll? She wouldn’t make it a weak out there. She was just a nobody that would die on the field and no one would care. She thought bitterly. 

It wasn’t fair. She thought hatefully. They got to train and she _didn’t_. It wasn’t their fault really, but it didn’t stop the resentment from growing. It was because of them that she seemed so weak. They were reaping all the benefits of the attention given to them, while she was begging for scraps. Scraps she rarely got. Because who would look away from an Uchiha and a brat? She was just pushed aside and ignored. _forgotten._

How do you ignore someone with such brightly pigmented hair? It’s literally bright pink. How do you miss that? 

With a sigh, she pushed herself up and brushed off the grass pieces left on her as she mauled it. With quiet steps, she made her way over to her sensei. 

“Sensei? May I be dismissed?” There wasn’t any point in her being here anyway. 

“Mm? Sure Sakura-chan.” Her Sensei mumbled, never looking away from his book. 

She held back an irritated growl and quickly left before she’d do something she’d regret. Her mother always said she had a nasty temper. Sakura was inclined to agree with her. 

Feet dragging as she walked home, causing harsh scraping sounds against the paths. She stopped, irritation growing. 

She sighed, feet still dragging. She hated going home to an empty house. A silent house with walls that seemed to be judging her no matter what she did. She hated that her parents thought she could handle herself, that she was responsible to be left home. Alone. Unsupervised. Or maybe she was tired of no one paying attention to her? But was that truly it? Or was it something else?

Did she feel neglected? Was that why she grew angrier and angrier as no one seemed to pay her any attention? That she was barely acknowledged? Or was she just upset that her teammates were the ones recognized? Was she jealous of her teammates?

Her footsteps paused as she tilted her head. Blinking in thought.

"Am I jealous of my teammates?" She wondered, voicing her question out loud. "Am I jealous that they get all the attention and training?" As soon as the words finished passing through her lips she realized that yes. She was jealous.

But it wasn't because she was getting the attention she so desperately craved, no. It was because no one seemed to see any value in her. Like she wasn't worth any effort. That's what she was jealous about because the boys always had someone fawning after them. Ino has people fawning after her. And yet nobody seemed to notice the bright pink-haired girl. Because you know, bubblegum pink isn't bright enough to say "Hey look here!"

Maybe she should dye her skin too, see if people would notice her then.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A soft tapping resonated around the room, causing Sakura to awake. She blinked sleepily before rolling over. Eye’s closed. 

“Stupid birds.” She murmured, pulling her blanket around her tightly. Not willing to let the warmth leave her just yet. 

With a content sigh, she snuggled deep into her pillow. Burrowing her face, wanting the bliss of sleep to come back. She was having such a nice dream too. 

The tapping continued. Louder. 

With a grumble, she sat up. Pink hair spilling around her as she turned to look at the window. Expression morphed into one of irritation. Stupid, stupid birds. Bugging her on her day off. 

With a blink of surprise, she hastily tried to toss off her blankets. In her quick movements (trying to get up and remove the blankets) she ended up falling. The ninja at the window got to witness one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. When she was able to sort herself out, she noted that he sat perfectly still. 

On the inside of her room. 

“Uh… Hello… Ninja-san?” 

“Lord Danzo wishes to speak with you.” The ninja, male, said. His mask was that of a bird, some sort of raptor. Perhaps a hawk? It also had purple markings, long triangular markings. One large one on the forehead and three thinner ones on each cheek. He was tall, and lean, well he seemed like he would be. His frame was shielded by a long jacket like think. From underneath the hood he wore she could see hints of dark hair, perhaps a dark brown or black? His voice was also flat, and she couldn't help but feel a shiver threaten to crawl up her spine. 

“Um.. Lord… Lord Danzo?” She asked, brows furrowed. She recognized the name…. But didn’t know from where. He seemed important though. 

The ninja moved forward, hopping down from her window sill as he approached her. Silently. 

“We must depart immediately.” He said, voice still flat. 

He sorta reminded her of a bird, and the mask certainly didn’t help with that image. She blinked. Why was he wearing a mask? And why did he want to bring her to a man she didn’t know. 

“Does Kakashi-sensei know?” She asked, hoping that this was his way of testing her. Hoping that the dread in her stomach was misguided. 

He offered up no reply instead, in a movement her eyes were too slow to detect, she was in his arms. With a yelp, her arms latched themselves around his neck, struggling to find some sort of balance. 

She yelped as he launched out of the window, though a small part of her wondered what it would be like to be this fast. This agile. It didn’t take them long to be quite far from her home and window. 

Her stomach dropped. They were already this far, and it’s only been a minute. She screamed and tried to push him away. Arms unwraping to push against his chest. She knew she’d drop to the forest ground below (They had to be out of the village by now) but she’d at least have a chance to get help. Any distance would be good. She knew she wouldn’t be able to outrun him, however, she just needed to alert the village. They’d take care of him for her.

She’d be the small porcelain doll again. 

With a shake of her head, she used all her strength to push away from him. Screaming as she plummeted to the forest below. Her hair blocked her vision as it whipped around her. Her body flipped, and now she was looking at the growing ground. 

Shit. Shit. Shit. Remember to roll when you land. Try not to break anything. 

A whoosh of air left her lungs as pressure was pressed against her ribs, an arm wrapped around her latched on and she was once again in the arms of the enemy. 

A breathless scream left her, only a coughing gasp as she struggled to breathe. The air had been knocked out of her. She thought. 

The world swirled around her as she hung limp against the ninja, helpless as he took her farther away from safety. Any hope she had left her. There was no way she could get help now. 

Dread sinking deep into her gut. Pooling in her stomach, heavy as lead. Her heart beating in her throat. The danger of the situation hitting her fully.

She was just kidnapped from her village. She wasn't supposed to meet with her team today and her parents wouldn't be home for another week. By the time anyone realized she was missing (which would be at minimum a day) it could quite possibly be too late. Her body would be thrown in the forest somewhere, broken and lifeless. Predators consuming her flesh.

With a huge gasp of breath, finally getting the sweet oxygen she began to struggle even more. There was no way she was going to take this lying down. She wouldn't expect her death. Not this way. Not like this. This wouldn't be the wave all over again.

Her teeth clamped down on the hand that had moved to grab her, trying to cease her struggles. But nothing happened, either she didn't bite hard enough or this man wasn't affected. She let out a hiss of breath and tried to elbow the man in the side, hoping she could dislodge his arm from around her, though that didn't do anything either.  
"Stop struggling." He said, cold voice causing her to startle.

"Let me go!" She cried, tears forming in her eyes. "I don't know what you want from me but please just let me go!"

"Lord Danzo wishes to speak with you." He replied, in the same cold voice.

Tears flowed freely from her eyes, desperation filling her. "Please. My parents have money if that's what you want. Just let me go." Feeling pathetic as she all but begged for her life.

He remained silent, not even a glance down at her. Not that she would've been able to see, as his face was covered by a mask.

Her fear was almost overwhelming, this was much worse than anything she'd been through. She'd frozen, shaking as she struggled. Nothing to concentrate on but her fear... Here? Here it was only herself. She didn't have Kakashi-sensei to protect her. She didn't have any skills to defend or protect herself. Nothing to help her escape.

Because I have been taught nothing I'm going to die. I'm going to die because I'm some weak girl who thought she could be a ninja. She thought, more tears spilling over her cheeks, her body falling limp. There was no point trying to escape. Nothing did anything. He was too strong for her.

He hopped onto the forest ground, landing with a soft thud. Her body was dropped to the ground seconds after. She let out a loud grunt as her head connected with the ground. A dull pain filled her head after the contact.

"Get up." The man snapped, cold voice showing some irritation.

She got up quickly, glancing at the forest. She could still run. She might make it, run across a returning team. They'd help her, wouldn't they? Hope blossomed and her legs tensed, preparing to bolt.

The man gripped her shoulder, leaning down to murmur into her ear. "Don't even think about it."

She was pushed forward, and down a flight of stairs. Stairs she hadn't seen before. Any light from the world above was gone as a loud bang resonated around them. She was sealed in some sort of hidden base with a man that had just kidnapped her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ight so as people may have read this already (and if you read the comments) you'll have realised that I had chapters mixed up. Ya. I'm fixing that.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sakura knelt, head bowed as she trembled, unable to look up at the man before her. She'd studied his features already, the features she could see when she came in anyway. Which ultimately gave her no insight into who she was dealing with. She only got a brief look before she was forced to kneel before him. A hand on her neck, still currently, holding her down. The hand was cold and solid. And the pressure of it was great. She could feel the strength radiating from it and knew there was no way she could get free, let alone escape. 

She shook slightly at the implication that she'd just been kidnapped and more than likely was going to be killed. Her family may be merchants but that didn't mean they'd risk it all for their daughter who'd run off to be a ninja. She had a larger family, they'd pick someone else to be an heir. They would've had to anyway, because how can a ninja be an heir to a civilian clan? She was sort of the black sheep of the family now she supposed. 

She kept her mouth shut and withheld the tears that wanted to burst free, struggling to keep her eyes dry as she stared at the man. She wouldn’t cry. Not like this. She was a ninja damn it! So she went back to studying the man. The left half of his face and forehead were covered by stark white bandages, his entire left side seemed to be covered. And he had a cane. He looked like an old man, but she couldn't help but feel like he was hiding something. He seemed to be more powerful than his appearance let on.

She was certain he was a ninja. But not certain as to why he wanted her. He didn't seem like the type to ransom her to the highest buyer. 

"Sakura Haruno?" He asked, voice raspy. 

She remained silent. 

"Are you frightened child?" He asked, sounding concerned. "I'm sorry, this was the only way to talk to you without Hatake breathing down our necks." He sat down, lighting a lamp. 

His features, once clouded by darkness were much easier to see. She was correct when she thought he seemed more powerful than he let on. She could see it now, with his stiff pose. Almost like he was trying to appear like a weak, feeble old man. Though that could be old age. Her father had gotten stiffer the older he got. 

His hand motioned to the one behind her, the one who'd brought her here. She sat up straighter when the hand clasped around the back of her neck vanished. The door closed with a soft click. She hadn't noticed they'd come in through a door. 

"Let's start over, shall we? I'm Danzo Shimura." 

She recognized the name now. "You're one of the village's elders." She gasped, eyes wide. Why did the village elder want her? 

"Yes. And you're Sakura Haruno correct?" 

"Yes sir. My name is Sakura Haruno." 

"Mmm." He stroked his chin. "It's come to my attention that you're not as strong as your teammates." 

She looked down, cheeks growing hot as she avoided his gaze. 

"No need to be embarrassed child. My men brought it to my attention that they've often seen you sitting on the sidelines. Are you injured perhaps?" 

"No sir." She still looked away, cheeks growing hotter as she wriggled her hands together. 

"Perhaps your ninjutsu style is not fit for friendly sparring?" He asked, voice soft. 

"No sir." 

"Then what pray tell is the reason Hatake has you sitting on the sidelines?" 

"I-I'm not sure sir." She glanced at him before quickly looking away. "I think it's because I'm weaker than my teammates." 

He nodded, seemingly deep in thought. "Interesting. Interesting." The way he said it made it sound…. Like this was a good thing. 

He stood, motioning for her to do the same. 

She rose quickly, dusting off her dress and trying to seem put together. Her mother would've been disgusted at the grime on Sakura's dress. But she'd given up as Sakura came home once having gotten in a brawl with Ami. A daughter didn't act like that. A daughter was well behaved, gentle. Not someone who brawled in the dirt.

"I'll have you shown out. We'll talk soon." With that he left her standing alone in a dark room, the flames of the torch flickering ominously. 

She had a feeling her life was about the change.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Danzo regarded the civilian parents with cold eyes. He could see why Sakura was so… underwhelming. Her father, a burly man of… questionable decent if the darker skin and dusty pink hair was anything to go by. Kumo perhaps judging by the darker skin and the dusty pink hair. He’d have to test Sakura’s affinity sooner than he’d thought. 

A boisterous laugh brought him out of his thoughts, the man… Kizashi... was laughing. Most likely about something irritating and juvenile. 

“You know you're the first one to show any interest in farthing our dear Sakura-chan.” He said, face growing serious. “At first we were reluctant to allow her to be a ninja, but Sakura-chan pleaded and pleaded.” 

“We never should’ve let her.” The woman snapped, before turning back to the kettle. Her frame tense. 

“Oh? You say no one’s been interested in Sakura’s progress?” And why would they? He internally scoffed. She comes from a buffoon and a surly woman. Not exactly pedigree. 

“She’d always come home crying. She was bullied you see, and always asked why she wasn’t like the other kids.” 

By other kids she meant the clan kids. Danzo supposed. 

“And her mother and I, we had no idea what to tell her. Sakura-chan’s a very gifted girl.” Kizashi regarded Danzo with unreadable eyes. “She’s a very smart girl. And with the right guidance she could be an almost unstoppable force.”

Mebuki shattered a cup as her hand tightened around it. Blood dripping down. Kizashi immediately leapt up and rushed to his wife’s side, but she regarded Danzo with cold green eyes. “Sakura was never meant to be a ninja. It’s going to get her killed. And I will not deal with that.”

“What if I were to offer…. A deal of sorts?” He asked, hand on his cane. 

Both parents stared at him. Good. He has their attention.

“What kind of deal?” Mebuki asked, wiping the blood from her hand. Offering Kizashi a small smile. 

“I could take Sakura-chan off your hands and give you enough money to settle elsewhere.” 

Both shared a glance. 

“Take Sakura off our hands? What exactly do you mean?”

“She’d be under my care. I’ve taken in many children over the years. Of course it’s more on the down low, you understand, but it wouldn’t be a problem at all.” Just say yes. 

“And settle down elsewhere?”

“I’ll give you enough money to move and resettle. I’m sure you’re young enough to birth another child?” 

Mebuki regarded him with narrowed eyes. Thinking. 

“Deal.” She said. 

“Wonderful. I’ll see to it that your money is given to you immediately. You may want to wait for the perfect opportunity. You know how children can be when it comes to leaving the nest.” 

The woman and he shared a look. She was a smart woman. He just hoped the pink-haired brat inherited it.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura huffed, glaring at her teammates. Grumbling under her breath. She stank for kami’s sake. Sweat clung to her like a second skin, all because those stupid boys decided to brawl leaving her to clean up the sewer filled house on her own! Kakashi didn’t even stop them! 

“Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.” She muttered. 

She’d have to go home and wash her dress. It was stained with…. She wasn’t even sure. Kami, she hated her team sometimes. She’d rather train than do this. 

“Well let’s go and request another mission.” Kakashi drawled. “Seeing as we failed this one.” 

Sakura groaned. 

Sometimes she wished she was put on a different team.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"My men tell me Hatake would like to take you on a mission out of the village. Is this correct?" Danzo asked, sipping tea as he read some files. She sat on the ground in front of him, bowed. He's summoned her out of the blue, she supposed this was what he meant by they'd talk later. 

"That is correct, Sir. He is taking us to the Land of the Waves." 

"Waves? That's quite far." Lord Danzo looked up. 

"It's only an escort mission. A simple C-rank." 

"A C-rank. This fresh out of the academy? Well, you'll certainly be getting experience." 

She smiled. "Yeah. My parents aren't very happy though. They think I'll end up getting hurt." She looked away. Cheeks glowing. She did not just tell Lord Danzo that. He didn't care nor need to hear about her parents. 

"How unfortunate." He looked at her, an eye flickering with some sort of emotion she couldn't recognize. "You must be excited." 

She gave him a small smile. "Ah. Not really." 

"Oh?" He was giving her his full attention now. "Are you frightened to be leaving the village?" 

"Not really. Don't get me wrong, it's scary but more so because we'll be escorting a drunk man, and I'll be stuck with Naruto." 

"Naruto. The Uzumaki boy?" This time she definitely saw something flicker in his eye. Though she couldn't tell what. 

"Uh... ya." She shrugged and begun talking again. "He just gets on my nerves. He's loud and obnoxious," Her hands clenched into fists. And no matter what he always has that kami-forsaken smile on his face. He's always happy. Even though he doesn't have a family. 

"Yes. Many of the civilians have complained about him. He's a troublemaker isn't he?" Danzo asked eyes dragged back to the files at his desk. Once again going through them. 

"Ya! He always gets into fights with Sasuke-Kun. Trying to make himself seem cooler than Sasuke-Kun. As if that's possible." She crossed her arms with a scoff. As if anybody could be cooler than Sasuke-Kun. 

"What do they fight about?" Danzo asked, leaning forward slightly, eyes on her once again.

"I have no idea. Half the time they're just calling each other names. Kakashi-sensei says it's because they respect each other as rivals... but Kakashi-sensei doesn't really pay attention to us, so I don't think that's right." 

He leaned back, "And why do _you_ think they fight?" 

"Because they're idiots. And they have this... this.... this needs to be better than the other. It's stupid." She grumbled, voice loud. "It's getting on my nerves because training is mostly them squabbling and Kakashi'sensei sitting under a tree and reading." 

"That does sound frustrating. And you say you're also stuck on the sidelines? You'd think Hatake would realize by now that he needs to train all _three_ of his genin." 

She nodded, arms uncrossing. "Ya. I don't know... it's not like I can do much of anything anyway." 

Danzo took a sip of his tea, silent as he regarded her. 

"I suppose it's time for you to return home?" he asked, looking at the clock. "It's getting quite late." 

She stood, nodding as she made her way to the door. She didn't know why she talked to Danzo about her problems. It wasn't like she knew him very well. but at least... at least he _listened_ to her. 

"When do you leave for your mission?"

"Tomorrow." She answered, turning to look at him.

"Hmmm. I'll have a solution when you come back. Have a goodnight." 

She nodded, "Goodnight Sir." 

She opened the door and stepped through. 

"Oh, and Sakura-chan?" 

"Yes sir?" A glance back with wide eyes.

"Just call me Lord Danzo." 

"Of course. S- Lord Danzo." 

"Goodnight Sakura." 

The door shut behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry it’s taking so long to update. It occurred to me that I’m going to be writing about serious topics and I want it.... not come across as childish/immature/naive of me. (I don’t want to come across as if I condone it?) so I’ve been doing research. As well as school and work... so life’s been pretty hectic. But I hope you’ll enjoy this chapter. Leave comments if you want, I’d love to know what people are thinking.

Chapter 6

Sakura sighed, sitting at the table. Across from her parents. They were quiet, which she was sure was a terrible thing. 

“Sakura darling, your mother and I are going travailing for a bit. A Suna merchant recently came into possession of some Kumo silk. And you just know how that silk sells.” Her mother said, dainty hands rose to her mouth, sipping from her teacup. 

“For how long?” Sakura asked, growing concerned. 

“We’ll only be gone a few weeks. We should be back by the time your mission is over.” Her mother smiled, and Sakura couldn’t place it, but dread settled in her stomach. 

Her father hadn’t said anything. 

“Papa?” Sakura asked, a little concerned as he looked away. “What’s wrong?” 

“We just wanted to be there for you.” He laughed, “After all its out first time out baby’s been out of the village. Your mother and I wanted to take you with us to our voyage to Suna... but I guess being a ninja comes first then?” 

“We’ve already talked about this Papa. I can’t leave my post as a ninja.” 

He nodded, smiling gravely. “I know.” 

“Well? Do you have everything?” Her mother spoke up, glancing at her husband with a warning glance. Sakura was growing even more confused. 

“Um... yes. I have everything.” 

“Why don’t you go double check? You’ll be gone for at least two weeks. And we wouldn’t want you to forget anything g would we?” Her mother smiled. 

“No Mama. I’ll go check.” Sakura rose from her seat, as gracefully as she could. 

She quickly made her way up stairs. 

—————————————————————————————

“What was that?” Mebuki hissed, staring at her husband. 

“Don’t you think it’s wrong for us to leave her? She’s our daughter. Our only daughter.”

“Lord Danzig is giving us a considerable amount for her. The money she’s worth will buy is a whole new house, she might even be able to get us out very own clan land.”

“It feels wrong.” 

“Why? She’s a ninja. She made her choice. She’d have died anyway. The poor thing never took being a ninja seriously.” 

“Why aren’t you.... upset? Does Sakura mean nothing to you?” 

“Of course she does. But I’m doing what’s best for this family. And Sakura wouldn’t have taken over our buissness anyway. We might as well start over.” 

“She’s our daughter, we can’t leave her.” 

“Lord Danzig said he’d take care of her. I trust him.” 

“But.... he feels off. I don’t trust him. He—”

“Papa, mama? I’m all ready.” Sakura said, peaking into the kitchen. 

“Wonderful dear. We’ll walk you to the door alright.” 

They fallowed their daughter to the door, Mebuki opening it with a smile on her face. “I’m so proud of you.” 

Sakura beamed. Hugging her mother tightly. “I’ll miss you guys.” 

Kizashi placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair gently. “We’ll miss you to. Remember we love you.” 

With one last hug, she left. 

Kizashi stared at her retreating back. 

“We did the right thing.” Mebuki purred. Hand on his arm. 

“Did we?”


	7. Chapter 7

Sakura walked slowly behind her teammates, trying her hardest not to let her feet drag and her thoughts take over her mind. But as time progressed, she became more aware of just how weird her parents had been acting. 

Her fathers laugh had sounded forced, her mother was being unusually.... kind. 

Something had happened and Sakura was sure it would affect the Haruno’s as a whole. 

They must have been blackmailed, in of their customers or suppliers! That had to be it and they were acting weird because they didn’t want her to know. 

But then.... they wouldn’t done what they did when they didn’t want her to know things. They would’ve stayed silent and distant. 

They acted.... guilty? But why would they have been guilty? Unless..... were they going to get back into the shady buissnes again? Trade things that weren’t legal in Konaha? 

But if so.... then was the Kumo silks just code? What were they actually trading? Explosives? Weapons? 

No her parents had only traded illegal goods like herbs and spices. They would t start dealing in weapons. They weren’t those kind of people. 

Even if they were rough around the edges they were still her parents. Her loving civilian parents, who wanted her far away from the ninja business. 

Maybe they were just upset that she was leaving for a mission? Like her father said, they’d wanted to bring her to Suna for the trade and show her the ropes. Maybe they were just a little upset about the fact that she wouldn’t take over the buissnes. 

It could be stress? Her father did seem to have more wrinkles then usual. Maybe they needed this deal to go well? 

“Sakura-chan?” Naruto called, looking at her. 

Her head shot up, and with a jolt realized that she’d stopped moving. The others had looked at her two. 

“Everything ok Sakura-chan?” Kakashi-sensei asked. 

“Ya. I just can’t remember whether or not I turned of the stove is all.” She lied, laughing and waving them off. “But now that I think about it I’m sure that I did.” 

She jogged and caught up with them, the dread felt like a heavy ball of rock in her stomach. 

Something was wrong with her parents. 

She smiled at her teammates and let out a small breath when they turned away. They believed her.


	8. Chapter 8

They’d been walking for a few days. She really hoped they wouldn’t have to walk any longer. She was sore, and tired and every time she took in a breath to deep she could smell the sweat wafting off of her. 

It was disgusting. 

The others smelt just as terrible, though they seemed less tired and sore then her. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. It was kind of insulting to her to think she wasn’t as capable as her teammates. But at the same time she already knew that. 

It still hurt though, realizing she was weaker. Lord Danzo was right. Kakashi-sensei didn’t put any effort into training her. It was.... blatantly obvious he could give two shits about her. Her mom taught me better than that. She thought. It’s unbecoming of a lady to curse. Even in her head. She was better then that. It wasn’t her fault she was naturally inclined to be a paper ninja. She was pretty sure it wasn’t a crime to be a paper ninja. And she was certain they could be powerful ninja too. They just needed a little extra help.

Extra help Lord Danzo might be able to provide she though, eyes widening. Could she rely on people outside of her team? Get stronger without her team?

“Sakura. Do try to keep up.” Kakashi-sensei’s voice rang. And screw her, but her cheeks grew red as she hurried to catch up again. 

Her cheeks remained heated as she felt the gases of both her teammates and the old man. It wasn’t her fault! She was worried! It wasn’t like she’d get them killed or anything! She wasn’t useless!

At least.... she wouldn’t be for long. 

That’s when she noticed the white bunny. They were already on edge from before. 

A flash of Naruto’s hand bleeding and Kakashi’s torso ripped in half crept into her mind. 

“What’s a snow bunny doing out–“ She began, blinking in confusion. 

A sword went flying toward them and Sakura screamed. 

“Friend killer Kakashi.” A voice rasped causing Sakura to look up. 

A man crouched on the tree, his head tilted as he regarded them. “Ah and it looks like you have little brats toting after you. I didn’t know you retired Hatake.” 

“Zabuza, hidden demon of the mist.”


	9. Chapter 9

Sakura froze, her fingers clenched around a kunai. The kunai wasn’t even sharp. Sure her parents could afford to get brand new ninja gear... but why would they waste it in her when they were dead set in her leaving the academy? 

She cursed her luck right now. She was acutely aware just how much danger they were in. 

That man oozed power, suffocating foul power. 

“These your little genin brats Hatake?” The man chuckled. “They still look wet behind the ears.” 

And she new it was true. They all looked drifting pitiful and weak compared to this intruder. 

And she couldn’t quite place it, maybe it was the. Ur serious look in his eyes or the tenseness in his body, but he was on a whole diffrent level. She was almost scared to think he could beat Kakashi-sensai. 

When she gets back to the village she was going to train hard. Whether or not she had help. 

Assuming she’d even survive this. 

“Tell me brats. Have you ever killed somebody before?” 

Both Sasuke and Naruto were staring up at the man in shock, while Sakura shivered. Her teeth grit. 

He was playing with them. He _knew_ he could beat them. He could do it _easily_. But instead he taunted them like a cat taunted a mouse. 

Watching them cower before him like some sadistic freak. 

She felt anger swell up in her. Anger and desperation and the cold fear that left her muscles drenched and stiff. 

She knew that they couldn’t get out of this alive. There was no hope. She wasn’t even sure if Kakashi-sensei would be able to get out of this alive. He’d be severely hurt at the least. 

Her eyes were wide, and her heart was thumping. And she could hear the blood rush through her. 

This was the only time she’s been out of the village, and it seemed like it would be her last. 

She wondered if her parents were right. 

Mist flooded around them, and her fear increased tenfold. This was a.... this wasn’t a technique she’d encountered before. And some small part of her wondered how she could learn it. 

The other part of her screamed to get out of there. 

“Liver, lung, heart, lyrax,” his voice echoed. 

And her heart froze. 

“Where should I strike?” 

She forgot how to breathe, eyes desperately searching for where he could be.

Where is he? _Where_ is _he?_ She wondered, thoughts panicked. 

Her fists clenched on the kunai even tighter and she was certain her knuckles were turning white even though she couldn’t see them. 

She turned, feeling the air shift behind her and he was there. Staring down at her with those black eyes that looked so empty and soulless and crazy. 

And then Sensei was there, blocking the sword. “Sakura protect the client.” 

She was always good at following orders she thought numbly. 

She hurried the old man away, trying to get as far away from that monster as possible. 

_She was certain the fight was about to begin._


	10. Chapter 10

She was right when she thought the battle would begin, but she couldn’t fathom the power both her sensei and the scary man had. 

That fought toe to toe, and the force of their blows caused a sharp crack. Echoing in the crisp air. 

That was a power level Sakura was certain was hard to achieve. She hadn’t seen a ninja with that power before. A flash of envy went through her. She’d be seen as strong if she could do that. To be able to fight with such... violence. 

Maybe she should try and get Danzo to find her a sensei who’d be willing to get Sakura to that level.

That was, of course, assuming Lord Danzo actually wanted to help her. 

She wasn’t exactly someone people generally wanted to help. 

She wasn’t stupid. She knew she was rude and stuck up. And she was aware that many people, her fellow classmates, weren’t fond of her. Hell, look at Sasuke. She’d done nothing but adore the boy and how does he treat me? Like I’m nothing but a bug under his boot. 

Another clang rang out, loud and piercing, of kunai scraping across kunai as the two men battled. They were attacking so fast they were a blur. 

Naruto and Sasuke watched with wide eyes, Sakura noted as she glanced around. The old man’s eyes were even wider. 

Brocade of this man she may not survive long enough to get stronger, she thought with a flash of rage. She suppressed it quickly. 

Her mother would’ve been proud. 

“Is that all you can do Hatake? Only copy my moves? Let’s try something harder shall we?” The man growled, and Sakura noted that he sounded... frustrated. Would her sensei actually win? 

But then... did that mean she’d witness her sensei kill someone? She knew, had pushed it to the back of her mind, that she’d most likely be (and she was ultimately) trained to kill people. But it was more than likely she’d be the one killed. Seeing as she didn’t have a lot of skill. And she knew for certain... she did not want to die.

Kakashi slashed at the man, Zabuza she was pretty sure his name was, and this time she could see it. So a distracting slag then? To cover up for another move or was it something else. 

“You’re getting slow.” Zabuza taunted, sword raised. She’d forgotten he’d retrieved it as they all dashed away from him. Clearly, he took advantage of the confusion and panic. The only one who didn’t was Kakashi-sensei, which wasn’t that surprising. 

Zabuza launched himself at Kakashi and the air cracked from the power intonations from them both. It hurt to breathe in their presence. The aura around them was suffocating and filled her lungs with heaviness. Her instincts screamed at her to flee, to hide. To get away somewhere safe. 

And if she hadn’t had the old man's hand on her, she most likely would’ve listened. There’s no way she’d survive an encounter with Zabuza. He was a _monster_. She couldn’t.... she wouldn’t even be able to get a hit in, let alone defeat him. 

And she knew for certain he was powerful. He had a huge sword for kami’s sake. Who had large swords just strapped to their back?

She herded the old man back, Tsuna or something. Her mother would be so disappointed in her for not remembering his name, as the battle seemed to progress into something... more. That’s the only word she could describe it. 

They were... dancing in a way. Blades clashing, and body’s flickering. A ninja’s dance. 

It didn’t matter that they were moving toward the water, and maybe it should, but she didn’t want to take any chances.

She watched the battle with her sharp eyes, trying to pinpoint who was going to win. But she was uncertain. They seemed evenly matched.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kay, I'm not going to lie. I really hate how they set Sakura up to failure here. Cuz like this really started the whole "Sakura doesn't do a thing" and like she's sort of one of main characters, like we shoulda got a little more in-depth idea of what she was thinking so we could at least understand why she didn't do anything. We got to see both Sasuke's and Naruto's thoughts and feelings when they were terrified so why didn't we get to see Sakura's?

It seemed Kakashi was finally done playing around, and Sakura was certain he was because he stopped and regarded Zabuza silently. His hand rising to his face, to the fabric covering his eye. 

Does Sensei have a kekkai genkai too? 

"I'm going to have to finish this quickly, it's dragged on too long already."

And with a pull, his eye was exposed to the world. His bright red eye. 

_The Sharingan._

Was Sensei an Uchiha? No, he couldn't be. He looked nothing like them... so then was he a bastard child then? That seemed the most likely, and she has never seen any of the other jonin, let alone any ninja, interact with him. She was very aware of how bastard children were treated, though she supposed it may be a civilian thing.

What she didn't expect, however, was the vertical scar slashed across his eye. Almost like someone was trying to slice his eye and make the Sharingan unusable.

Zabuza immediately retreated to the pond, glaring at them.

His sword resting on his shoulder. He wasn't taking us seriously. She thought. We're just in the way of his true want. 

"Well Copycat? Are you just going to stand there?" He taunted bandaged face tilting and twisting into what Sakura was sure a feral grin. "Brought out the Sharingan and you're not even going to use it?" 

Kakashi glanced back at the trio. "I will protect you all with my life." He vowed, voice losing any playfulness she was used to. Instead, it was serious and deep. And Sakura couldn't help but believe him. He would protect them. He had to. There was no way they were a match for Zabuza. 

Her eyes went wide, shaking from fear. Darting around, trying to find some sort of way to escape or hide. 

There was a second Zabuza. 

Another Zabuza climbed out from the water, dripping as he slowly stepped onto the land. Equally as monstrous as the first. 

"Well, Kakashi?" Zabuza sneered. "What's it going to be? Fight me? Or die?" 

Kakashi seemed to have made up his mind, shifted his feet and launched forward. He sliced through the clone with very little difficulty. Only... the clone had dodged. Sending a kick to Kakashi-sensei which sent him flying into the water. 

Zabuza let out a booming laugh, and Sakura watched with wide eyes, as Kakashi seemed to struggle to stand. 

"Water prison jutsu." 

Sakura felt cold fear run through her veins. Their only hope at surviving this encounter was gone.

She watched as Kakashi sensei’s eyes grew large. Taking in the trap he’d fallen for. 

Sakura tried to calm her breathing. To push back the panic that threatened to claw from her throat and spill out of her. Her eyes found the forms of Sasuke and Naruto. Who were equally as terrified, though they hid it better. 

“We got to do something.” Naruto hissed, blue eyes impossibly wide. 

“And what do we do? That man bear Kakashi-sensei.” Sasuke hissed back, staring at Naruto like he was an idiot. 

“Run! You can’t take him!” Kakashi roared, and Sakura wasn’t sure but she thought she could hear his voice break a little. Was he scared to? Did he know he was going to die? Know that he’d brought them to their deaths? That.... that she’d die? 

Oh. _Oh._ She was going to die. She was going to die here and no one would remember her. Her parents would mourn their only child but ultimatum move on. They were civilians. They had the Haruno name to look after. 

And it wasn’t like she came from a clan. The only people who would’ve cared for her, maybe, we’re going to be killed right along with her. 

She was going to die. And no one would care. 

What about Danzo-san? A small voice in the back of her head whispered. He’d care. 

He would? Danzo-san would care. He’d said he was going to train her. To make her stronger. She couldn’t let him down. She couldn’t _disappoint_ him. 

She shook herself from her thoughts and gripped her kunai tightly. The metal, hot and slick from her sweaty hands, bit into her soft flesh. 

“Run you idiots!!” Kakashi roared, voice desperate. 

“We’re not leaving you sensei!” Naruto screamed back, just as desperate. 

“Then you will die with your sensei.” The man sneered, or she thought he’d sneered. 

His clown moved closer. 

“You idiots! His clone can’t go to far from him! It’s a water clone! Run you can escape!” 

“I could kill you and chase after them.” 

She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what to do. _She didn’t know what to do._ She didn’t know what to _do._

Sasuke and Naruto leaned into each other whispering. Why weren’t they talking to her? Why weren’t they including her? Where they going to leave her to die? Was she... expendable to them? 

Every thought of her being cords and rude to Naruto flashed in her head, every thought of Sasuke pushing her aside, every taunt and sneer and scowling look. And she realized. Why should they save her? 

She’s done nothing but pester and annoy them. Berated Naruto, harassed Sasuke.

She watched frozen as Naruto grinned and Sasuke crossed his arms. 

She didn’t know how to react.


End file.
